Dark Hollow
by Cricketsong
Summary: A young warrior falls in love with apprentice, everyone in the clan approves of his choice! But he soon realizes it's not just his clans oppinion that matters, but a whole clan of warriors who have something to say about his choice of mate, too!


A gray tom sat in warm patch of sunlight outside of the warriors' den, his pale blue eyes searching for a familiar cat in the clearing, "Hello Stonepelt!" Fernpaw, a light gray she-cat meowed, setting down the vole in her jaws. "Fernpaw, have you seen Mothpaw anywhere? It's time for her training and I can't find her." Stonepelt explained before adding, "She's never on time, that she-cat is going to get it from me today I tell you!"

"Oh, Stonepelt, be patient she'll turn up! I'm almost certain she went with Crowfur and er… Nightwing on the dawn patrol this morning!" Fernpaw mumbled after gulping down her vole. "You're too hyper, tone it down before StarClan have to turn you into a lazy badger in order to keep you busy… sleeping!"

Stonepelt looked at her sympathetically, rasping his tongue over the she-cats soft head, "Thanks Fernpaw. What would I do without you to keep me in order?"

"Go mouse brained!" The gray she-cat replied with a soft purr of amusement. But before he could say anything more his ears pricked to hear a familiar cry ringing through the HollowClan camp. "Stonepelt, Stonepelt!" He turned to see Mothpaws golden fur streaking toward him. "I caught a kit hawk! It was just learning to fly and… look, look!"

Mothpaw was panting so hard you'd swear she had been running from a pack of hungry badgers. "Well done, Mothpaw." Whitestar praised the apprentice, resting his fluffy white tail on her shoulder. "I've never seen anything like it in these woods!" A HollowClan elder, Brambleberry meowed coming up to stand beside Mothpaw. "Yes, your right Brambleberry, it must have flown in from WindClan territory. After all if it's just a kit hawk it must not know its territory well." Fernpaw added, coming up to sniff the kit hawk.

After the crowd had died down he padded over to meet Mothpaw, looking at the kit hawk with admiration, "Nice catch, Mothpaw!" He meowed, feeling a bit awkward. "Er… take that straight to the elders den and get back here in time for your training, you're already late.

Mothpaw almost looked hurt but soon brightened up again, "Of course O' great mentor!"

The pretty gold tabby disappeared into the elders hollow only to appear again in heartbeats, pelting toward him with a gleam in her amber eyes. "What are you going to teach me today, furball?" Mothpaw teased, barreling him over. "Fighting skills." Stonepelt growled, pushing her off.

"Ooh, sounds good to me, I'll shed some of that no good fur off CoralClan, or OrchardClan, or even FlightClan for that matter." She growled playfully, slipping into a hunters crouch. "Okay, okay, enough. Now focus on the present." He meowed wisely, with a bit of amusement in his voice. Mothpaw nodded, standing up and walking forward her tail and head high. "Right, Stonepelt, I'm er… going to act proper from now on!"

He jumped up onto a mossy ledge before clawing his way to the top of a flat stone clearing they called the Stonehollow. It was quite big with thick clumps of bracken, fern and heather surrounding the clearing they trained their apprentices in.

"All right attack me!" He hissed, scraping his claws on the hard rock as he braced himself for the attack. Mothpaw looked at him confused at first, but then caught on and lunged at him fiercely, but he was ready and slid aside. His apprentice landed in a clump of heather, standing up from her slump position she shook some of moss from her head and leaped at him again, he wasn't ready but quickly slid beneath her outstretched paws, but this time she whipped around and landed on his back, mildly sinking her claws into his back and biting his neck. "Get off stupid furball!" Stonepelt murmured rolling over on her. "Ha, pinned yeah!"

Mothpaw rumbled a purr trying to force him off with her back forelegs. "Get of you piece of mouse dung!" She growled playfully, jumping from side to side in a hunters crouch. "I'm ready for you, I know what move you're going to make before you…"

Before she could finish Stonepelt barreled into her, pushing her off balance and pinning her done by her neck, "Didn't see that one coming did you Mothpaw?"

The she-cat looked embarrassed as she stood up but soon her eyes were full of excitement again. "That was a lucky shot!" Mothpaw meowed. He set his tail on her shoulder, stroking it down her back. "Whatever helps you sleep," Stonepelt purred, rasping his tongue over his rumpled fur. "Hey are you going to the gathering tonight?"

Mothpaw eagerly looked up at him hopeful, "I hope it'll be my first time!"

"Oh right, I remember my first time when I was a young apprentice, I never left my mentors side." He explained, resting his tail on her head before she batted it off. "I can't imagine you an apprentice, a little Stonepaw!" Mothpaw let out an _mrrrw _of laughter at the sight of seeing a smaller version of Stonepelt. "Well, young grasshopper, I say it's about time we got you back to the camp." He suggested teasingly, pelting down the Stonehollow and toward the camp. "Young grasshopper? What, I'm not a grasshopper mouse brain!" He could hear Mothpaw yowling behind him confused, "Hey wait up furball… Stonepelt, wait!"

Finally he decided to stop and wait for his apprentice who was dragging toward him panting like a dog! "I can't wait— until I'm a warrior… I might be Mothstripe, Mothclaw, Mothtail, Mothwing or even Mothcloud." She stuttered, catching her breath. "Or maybe Mothflight!" He added, ruffling her fur with his tail tip.

"Yeah, I like that, Mothflight! It's perfect."

"You know, before you become a warrior you have to travel to the MoonPool with Whitestar and me!" He meowed. "MoonPool?" She curved her ears in interest. "You know, where Poppypaw and Berrypool go every half moon with all the other medicine cats to talk with StarClan." He explained. "They know a lot about herbs, I wouldn't want to be a medicine cat to much stuff to learn." Mothpaw mewed tripping over a tree root and landing in a small stream. He let out an mrrow of laughter. "Yuck, water!" She leaped out of the water shaking her pelt free of the wet liquid. "Now I'm all wet and so is my squirrel!"

Stonepelt looked at her soaking wet squirrel she had caught earlier before they had gotten to the Stonehollow!

After returning home Whitestar had wanted to see him in his den. He padded over to the old ancient cave that the elders told him legends about when he was an apprentice. He slipped through the lichen that hung on the cave entrance. Walking down the narrow path until he reached the small clearing, Whitestar lie on some fresh moss one of the apprentices had brought him. "Ah, Stonepelt! I've bin waiting for you, I thought about taking Mothpaw to the gathering tonight, do you think she's ready to go?" The big white tom asked. "Absolutely, she's coming along great with her warrior skills!" He praised. "Glad to hear it, you and Mothpaw will come to the gathering tonight, and could you tell Nightwing I need to talk to him?" The tom mewed while he padded through the tunnel and out through the lichen. He searched for the black tom and found him lying with his apprentice by the elders' den. He padded over to meet him. "Stonepelt, is it true? Did Mothpaw really catch a hawk?" Bearpaw meowed almost crashing into him. "Yup, did she tell you it was just a kit hawk though?" He purred, the young tom shook his head and pelted back toward the apprentices' den with Mothpaw.

He walked over to Nightwing, "Whitestar wants you." He meowed. The black tom nodded and headed for his leaders den.

He walked over the fresh kill pile and picked out a wood mouse then carried it over to the apprentices' den lying down beside Mothpaw and Bearpaw who were sharing a shrew. "Mind if I sit with you guys?" He asked biting into his mouse. His best friend, Foxheart padded over lying down beside him with a thrush. "How come you're eating with them, do you miss the apprentice life?" Foxheart teased. "At least I don't hunt like a lopsided badger!" He joked. "I'll show you lopsided!" Foxheart tackled him, he turned him over and pinned him down but Foxheart squirmed out from under his grip! "Wow I didn't know warriors play fought!" Bearpaw purred with interest in seeing two warriors play fight again. "They don't unless they deserve it!" He purred.

Nightwing padded over to them. "Mothpaw, Foxheart, Bearpaw and Stonepelt you're going to the gathering!" He grumbled stalking off. "I wonder what got his feathers in a bunch?" Mothpaw teased.

Whitestars yowl rang across the stone clearing, warriors, elders and some apprentices poured out of their dens; it was time to go to the gathering. He padded over to where the other cats that were chosen to go to the gathering stood behind their leader. Mothpaw ran up behind him tingling with excitement. "What are gatherings like Stonepelt?"  
"You'll find out soon enough!" He purred at the young cats interest. HollowClans deputy, Nightwing sat beside Whitestar at the front. While Foxheart sat beside him with his apprentice Bearpaw.

Whitestar flicked her tails and headed down the raven. "I can't wait!" Mothpaw purred.

Stonepelt purred springing over a fallen ash tree with moss growing on it.  
They climbed up a mossy cliff, clawing to get his grip on the moss, he held on then lunged to the top. Peering down to see if his apprentice had made it up safely, but Mothpaw had never bin here before, or climbed something other then a tree. She was hanging on for dear life, frozen in spot near the bottom. He sighed and slid down after her. Hanging onto the moss with all the strength he could possess. He reached down for her. "Go Stonepelt I can make it." She panted helplessly. "No." He growled grabbing her scruff and tugging her up. He grabbed onto some moss but it ripped out and fell to the ground. He tried to jump but with Mothpaw's extra weight he couldn't. He climbed up a few fox lengths only about a mouse-tail lie ahead. Mothpaw stay limp, as the only thing stopping her from falling was his tight jaw locked onto her scruff. She let out the rare moan or squirmed a bit but nothing more than that.

He bunched his muscles and leaped but only one paw made it up. "You jump up off my shoulders, you can make it." He hissed through gritted teeth. Mothpaw hesitated looking down at the drop if she missed, then climbed onto her mentors shoulders and leaped, her back legs didn't make it and rocks fell beneath her falling on top of him. She screeched and panicked but managed to claw her way up.

Sighing in relief he lunged forward, barreling into Mothpaw's frozen in spot body! "You okay?" He asked, sniffing her, she smelled of fear and her fur stood on end but she replied calmly, "Fine!"

He ruffled her fur with his paw, rasping his tongue over her fluffy gold head, "You'll be fine, c'mon the Clan has already gone on ahead without us!" He purred, padding after the rest of the HollowClan patrol, Mothpaw nodded and pelted forward to match her pace with his.

It wasn't long before they caught up to the others; sitting behind Whitestar and waiting for his signal to pour into the clearing and talk with their rivals in piece!

After a several heartbeats Whitestar flicked his tail and they pelted across the tree bridge, he stayed close to Mothpaw; she hated water! He hoped he wouldn't have to save her from drowning he was already so tired from pulling her up the mossy cliff he could collapse!

But they made it across the tree bridge safely without any interruptions, Mothpaw looked scared out of her fur as her amber eyes widened to see so many cats at once. "I've never seen so many of them, Stonepelt!" She purred. "There everywhere!"

Stonepelt couldn't surpass a sigh of amusement the she-cats jaw dropped and her eyes were round full moons! But then she got a worried look in her eyes, "Did you ever get lost your first time to a gathering?" She asked, pushing her flank up against his. "Well, it's funny you ask that, Mothpaw. Me and Foxheart got lost together actually, there were so many cats we didn't know…"

"Oh, I think I'll just stay with you then." She hesitated, wrapping her tail around herself as she crawled underneath him. His paws surrounded her protectively as he sat there with her scared shape beneath him. He bent down to rasp his tongue over her head a few times.

A tawny colored she-cat that smelled of CoralClan padded up to them. "Hello, Stonepelt! Is this your daughter?"  
"No, this is my apprentice, Mothpaw." He replied. "Oh, my apprentice became a warrior two moon highs ago, he's over there with the other warriors." She flicked her tail towards a jet-black tom with a ginger stripe on his back. "His name is Rowanstripe!"  
"So how is CoralClan, Tawnyfur?" He asked, standing up to sit beside Mothpaw. "It's fine, lots of prey now that Greenleaf is here!" She purred. "How's my mother? Is she okay?" He searched around the clearing for the smoky gray she-cat. "Robbinwing? She's good, she moved to the elders' den the night after the last gathering." Tawnyfur mewed. "I didn't know your mother lived in CoralClan." Mothpaw meowed surprised. "She gave me up when I was a kit to become deputy, but she's retired now and is an elder… at least so I hear." Stonepelt explained, hiding his sorrow. "Who was your father then?" Mothpaw asked with interest. "My father was Grayheart, he lived in HollowClan but died before I wan even apprenticed." He swallowed his sadness at he gazed at apprentice who was soaking up everything he said. "We have more in common then I thought, my mother was a OrchardClan warrior, she died giving birth to me and my brother, Hawkpaw." She explained. "And my father of course is Runningwing!"  
"Yes, I heard!" Stonepelt purred. "Is Hawkpaw here?"  
"I don't know, I don't want to get lost." Mothpaw confessed. "You go find him, if you're not back by the time the gathering begins I'll come look for you!" Mothpaw flashed him a grateful glance and took off.

Foxheart trotted over to him. "Hello, Tawnyfur!"  
"Foxheart, I've haven't seen you since two gatherings ago!" She teased. Stonepelt talked on with his friends until Barkstar, FlightClans leader yowled for the meeting to begin. He waited for Mothpaw to return but didn't find her fuzzy golden pelt amongst the others. He crept through the listening cats in search of his apprentice. He still found nothing of her, he caught a golden pelt but it was a CoralClan tom.

Stonepelt sighed and decided to look for her when the gathering was over.

Whitestar stepped forward. "Nothing new to report, prey is excellent, and one of our queens is expecting kits soon!" He yowled. "Our apprentices are coming along great with their training!"  
Whitestar backed down and a bright ginger she-cat stepped forward, who he knew as Seasonheart. "Sadly Lionstar passed away, I've taken his place and traveled to the MoonPool last night to receive my nine lives and new name, Seasonstar!" The she-cat purred. "One of our apprentices has been made a warrior and sits vigil tonight!"  
After the last leader reported their news the gathering ended. The waterfalls that surrounded the clearing crashed to the ground against the rocks, white foam bubbled up. He searched for Mothpaw and found her with the rest of the clan. He raced over to her, his paws beating down hard on the ground like his ancestors from LionClan, TigerClan and LeopardClan. "Mothpaw, I couldn't find you!" He panted.  
"I couldn't find you either, I looked helplessly though!" She added innocently.

The Clan was almost all the way home now they just had to swim through FoxRiver and they would be home! The cats splashed into the gray/blue water. He plunged in beside Mothpaw who was gurgling the water that had gotten in her mouth. "It doesn't taste to bad!" She meowed straining to keep her head up. She went under a few times, splashing her paws and making white water foam around her gold paws. "Help!" She cried. He grabbed her scruff holding her head up and she pant helplessly. "Tomorrow we'll work on your climbing and swimming skills!" Stonepelt purred pulling Mothpaw out of the water. He shook his pelt until the water was gone, pelting after the clan with Mothpaw dragging at his heels. "Oh, please no! I hate water and climbing!" Mothpaw grumbled. "It'll be good exercise! He mewed.

After they reached home, he decided to go straight to sleep, the swim and climb with the extra weight had really tired him out. Foxheart trotted over to him. "Could me and Bearpaw join with you and Mothpaw tomorrow? For training?"  
"Sure, we're working on climbing that mossy cliff; she couldn't do it she froze with fear so I had to carry her up! And we're working on swimming skills, she almost drowned and she hates water I want to get her friendly with it!" He purred. "With you as Mothpaws mentor she'll make a fine warrior, swimming, climbing, fighting and hunting just like you! And she has quite the sense of humor, Bearpaw never stops talking about her!" Foxheart meowed. "Yeah, but she can be quite clumsy she's never on time for her training but she always makes up for it. Like today she caught a kit hawk and she beat me in fighting well not literally. She slid underneath me and pounced of my back forcing me to fall!" Stonepelt explained. "Well no wonder you're one of the strongest cats in the clan, I'm sure she fights just like you!" Foxheart purred. "I've got to get some rest that climb and swim tired me out!" Stonepelt grumbled. "Hey, Stonepelt! I wanted to thank you for saving me two times!" Mothpaw purred bouncing towards him. He bent down to rasp his tongue over her ears a few times.


End file.
